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No.' 227,998. l Y Patented May 25,1880.

N-FFEHS, PHUTD-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. (I

UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD B. SHELDON AND JOSEPH V. PEAGOCK, OF SHORTSVILLE, N. Y.

FORCE-FEED DEVICE FOR FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,998, dated May 25, 1880.

Application led January 17, 1880.

invented new and useful Improvements in Force-Feed Devices for Fertilizer-Distributers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective of our invention in operative condition. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7, and 8 are views of the several parts detached.

It is well known that the distribution of fertilizers is difficult by reason of the general coherent character of such materials, which pre vents disintegration by the agitators generally in use.

Our invention relates to a method of disintegration by slicing or cutting from the bottom of the mass, and-by positive action feeding it out, by the operative parts of the machine, in an even and continuous stream 5 and it consists, essentially, in an eccentric circular revolving knife,` against whichthe mass is continually moved. There areralso points relating to structure, which will be particularly referred to farther on.

A is the bed or frame plate, provided with suitable lugs, a, lor its attachment to the framework of the machine, and with a peripheral flange, b, which forms an upwardly-projecting rim around the bed-plate, to prevent the escape laterally of anything which descends to said bed. At the center there is an upwardlyprojecting hollow hub or bearing, c, to receiye and hold the moving and stationary parts of the force-feed apparatus; and there is also, between the said hub and peripheral flange, a discharge-opening, d, through which the nal discharge takes place.

A cup-plate, D, having a central opening, e, and a peripheral ange or rim, f, is next provided and tted to said bed A by a center ring, g, connected to the outer portion of the cup-plate by spider-arms. The exterior bottom surface of the cup D rests upon the upper edge of the rim b, and exterior to its bearingsurface upon said rim there is a drooping' bevel-gear ring, h, to mesh with a driving-pinion, I, and be thereby rotated.

When the cup D is in place upon the bedA the ring g encircles the hub r, and there is a space between the bottom of said cup and the upper surface of the bed A.

The material fed by this device drops through the opening c either directly into the dischargehole dor upon the bed A. In the latter event it is swept around and into the hole d by the scraper or cleaner t, attached to one of the spider-arms and extending radially across the entire surface of the bed A.

An arm or rod, k, extends radially inward from the rim j' to engage with and move the Slicer, as will more fully appear hereinafter.

Next after the cup D comes the feeder J, which consists of a scroll-plate covered over the greater part of its extent. It is provided with a centralhub or stud, m, fitted to the hub c. When in place it holds the cup D in position, and is itself locked by the cross-pin n,

which is turned raside beneath the bottom of the bed upon inclined surfaces, or otherwise securely locked.

The scroll-feeder is hollow underneath, and covers and incloses as with awall the opening c, so that nothing can enter therein except through the space p between the ends of' saul scroll. The end q of said scrollreaches outto a point almost in contact with the rim f, sothat whatever may be carried forward upon the surface of the cup D will be swept against said end q and carried toward the center, where it is discharged through the opening e..

lThe upper surface of the feeder is provided with a second stud, r, which is not axially coincident With the stud fm, but is between that point and the point g. A circular knife, K, is located upon said stud r, and covers nearly the entire surface of the stationary feeder J. Its edge all around is sharpened, and on its upper surface there is a lug, t, with which the arm lc engages, and thereby causes said slicer to revolve with said cup D.

One of the objects of this improvement is to render all the parts easily separable Without the use of tools. To that end, therefore, we

place a pin, u, permanently in the stud r, and make in the plate K a notch, c, so that said plate may pass down over said pin u; and above the Slicer-plate K we place the lockingplateL, which is provided with a similar notch IOO and with two lugs, w w, which limit the movement of said plate whenv in position.

It will be observed that all of these parts may be readily separated and reunited without tools whenever required, and that the forward motion of the movable parts in their revolution tends to carry the locking-pin a and the locking-plate L away from the notches, through which said parts maybe liberated,ai1d thereby maintain the lock.

rlhe slicer K, it will be observed,hasits axis eccentric to the of cup D, and therefore the fertilizer has an opportunity to descend below the plane of said plate on the side oppo site its eccentric axis, and as the cup D revolves said portion will b e carried against the edge of the revolving` slicer K and severed. The severed fragments will passinto the scrollfeeder J, and be caused to drop through the openings and be discharged.

The forward edge, y, of the feeder is also made sharp, to assist the cutter in severing and to scrape clean the lower surface of the slicer.

The pinion I is constructed with projecting hubs, which rest in open bearings constructed on the side of the frame A, so that when the cup D has been removed said pinion may be lifted out of its bearings. It also has a rectangular axial opening to receive the line-shat`t by which the device is to be driven.

Those portions of this apparatus which are shown herein and relate to thebed-frame, to the mode of securing the parts together by means of a stud from the scroll-feeder, which passes through the tubular hub of the frame and-locks underneath the same, to the scrollfeeder with a continuons flange or rim, to a cleaner attached to the under surface of a revolving hopper, and to open han gin g brackets, were the sole invention of Richard B. Sheldon.

These are, therefore, hereby disclaimed as joint inventions.

rlhose portions of the device herein shown which relate to the structure of the feeder and those parts Which are below the same are included in a separate patent to us jointly,

dated March 30, 1880, and numbered 226,121.

an eccentric rotating slicer, K, combined with an arm, k, projecting inward from said cup and engaging with a lug on said slicer, so as to cause the saine to rotate with said cup, as set forth.

3. The scroll-shaped feeder J, provided with the two hubs or studs m and r, not in line with each other, and provided with the locking-pin u, combined with the bed A, rotating cup D, slicer K, and the stationary lock-plate L, as set forth, whereby all theparts are united and held in place by the feederJ and hubs mi".

4. [n a force-feed having a stationary stud, r,with alpin, u, and a rotating knife, K, mounted on said stud, the locking-plate L, provided with the central orifice and radial notch to pass over the pin u, combined with the stoplugs w, whereby its motion is limited and the lock maintained while the machine is in operation.

RlGHARD B. SHELDON. JOSEPH VESEY PEAOOGK.

Witnesses:

RUssELL W. ROBERTS, GEORGE H. DRUMMOND. 

